The invention claimed and disclosed herein pertains to printing of metered postage, and more particularly to printing metered postage facilitated by an electrophotographic imaging device.
The present invention pertains to postage meters, which are devices used to print postage on envelopes or the like in the form of a xe2x80x9cmeter stampxe2x80x9d. The use of a postage meter avoids having to apply stamps to the item to be mailed. Postage meters can print one or more denominations of postage, and can display the amount of postage used and the amount remaining. A meter locks (i.e., will not authorize the printing of a meter stamp) when no postage or minimal postage remains. The use of a postage meter in the United States is governed by United States Postal Service (xe2x80x9cUSPSxe2x80x9d) regulation P030, which describes the use and specifications of postage meters and meter stamps. Many foreign countries have similar regulations pertaining to the printing of postage using a postage meter.
In the United States, one must obtain a license to possess a meter and then select a meter and have the meter set. Postage meters are available only by lease from authorized manufacturers. The USPS holds manufacturers responsible for the control, operation, maintenance, and replacement of their meters. No entity other than the manufacturer may possess a postage meter without a valid USPS postage meter license and a rental agreement with the meter manufacturer. A customer may not possess a postage meter before the USPS sets, seals, and checks it into service. A meter generally must be taken to the licensing post office to be reset by payment for additional postage. However, the USPS Computerized Remote Postage Meter Resetting System (xe2x80x9cCMRSxe2x80x9d) allows certain meters to be reset electronically at the licensee""s place of business. This can be done through the use of a modem or a network interface card or the like.
As mentioned, postage can be paid by printing metered postage on any class of mail (except periodicals). Metered postage (printed meter stamps) must be legible and not overlap. Metered postage must be printed or applied in the upper right corner of the envelope, address label, or tag. Meter stamp designs (types, sizes, and styles) must be those specified when a meter is approved by the USPS for manufacture. In all usages, a meter stamp must show the city and state designation of the licensing post office, the meter number, and the amount of postage. Fluorescent red ink is mandatory for metered postage on letter-size metered mail. Failure to use fluorescent ink may lead to the revocation of the meter license. At the present time, a meter stamp cannot be printed using toner in an electrophotographic printing process.
A postage meter comprises a xe2x80x9cvaultxe2x80x9d, which is the device which stores the value of the postage which has been set on the meter (and paid for by the licensee), and more specifically, the remaining value of postage following any use of the meter. Modern postage meter xe2x80x9cvaultsxe2x80x9d are typically electronic devices which include a vault memory (such as a readable-writeable random access memory (xe2x80x9cRAMxe2x80x9d)) configured to store the value of postage remaining in the meter. A primary concern of the licensing authority (typically, a national post office) in the use of postage meters is ensuring that the licensee debits the vault for usage of postage, and further that the licensee does not increase the value of postage recorded in the vault through means other than those authorized by the licensing authority. To this end, access to the vault is provided through a vault program, which is typically executed by a vault processor. The vault program is provided with an encryption or encoding routine allowing only an authorized entity to increment the value stored in the vault. Likewise, the vault program is provided with an accounting routine to subtract value from the vault when postage is printed using the postage meter. The accounting routine can also provide a user with information regarding the balance available in the vault.
When a meter stamp is to be printed using an electronic printing device, such as an ink jet printer, then an additional concern of the licensing authority is ensuring that the meter stamp printing device only prints a meter stamp which is authorized by the postage meter. That is, the licensing authority desires to prevent persons from printing metered postage using the printing device unless the printing causes the meter vault to be debited by the amount of the printed meter stamp. To this end the meter stamp printing device can be provided with an electronic xe2x80x9clockxe2x80x9d which can only be disabled by an encrypted signal from the vault processor. The meter stamp printing device cannot print a meter stamp until the electronic lock has been disabled. Accordingly, the vault program can further include a meter stamp printing routine. The meter stamp printing routine can generate an electronic file of the meter stamp image to be printed, including the value of the postage, the origin of the stamp (city and state), and any other characteristics to be printed as part of the meter stamp. The meter stamp printing routine can then provide the meter stamp printing file with an encrypted xe2x80x9ckeyxe2x80x9d, which can only be used by the meter stamp printing device. The xe2x80x9ckeyxe2x80x9d unlocks the meter stamp printing device, allowing it to print the meter stamp printing file. After printing, the meter stamp printer again becomes xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d so that unauthorized printing of postage does not occur.
Prior to the advent of electronic meter stamp printing, meter stamps were almost exclusively printed by apparatus which employ mechanical print elements. These mechanical printing elements are either fixed (such as the city and state of origin of the meter stamp), or are variable and set by hand (such as the postage value and the date, which were set by a plurality of wheels). The mechanical print elements are used to transfer the postage ink from a medium (such as a reservoir or a ribbon) to the item being printed with the meter stamp. However, the use of electronic meter stamp printing allows the formatting and printing of the meter stamp to be performed automatically, saving user time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,828, issued to Cordery et al. on Dec. 9, 1997, entitled, xe2x80x9cDIGITAL POSTAGE METER SYSTEMxe2x80x9d, and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, describes a postage meter having a vault and an ink jet print head. A control system coordinates the printing of metered postage (as authorized from the vault) by the ink jet print head using encrypted communications to thereby ensure security of the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,172, issued to Sungwon R. Moh on Sep. 29, 1998, entitled, xe2x80x9cMETHOD AND STRUCTURE FOR CONTROLLING THE ENERGIZING OF AN INK JET PRINTHEAD IN A VALUE DISPENSING DEVICE SUCH AS A POSTAGE METERxe2x80x9d, discloses a secure method, and apparatus for implementing the method, to print metered postage using an ink jet print head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,181, issued to Linda V. Gravell et al. on Jul. 4, 2000, entitled, xe2x80x9cPOSTAGE METERING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A STAND-ALONE METER OPERATING AS A METER SERVER ON A NETWORKxe2x80x9d, and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, describes a postage meter that can print a meter stamp on any of several meter stamp printing devices connected to a network. Further, the postage meter can be reset using the USPS Information-Based Indicia Program (xe2x80x9cIBIPxe2x80x9d) using a connection (such as a modem) to a data center authorized to issue postage to a postage meter. FIG. 3 of this patent shows how the meter, in the form of a postal security device (xe2x80x9cPSDxe2x80x9d), is in communication with an meter stamp printer via a host computer, such as a personal computer. The meter stamp printer can be an unsecured printer. The host computer is provided with a modem to allow postage to be purchased from a data center. The host computer is also provided with applications programs, in conjunction with a meter toolkit, allowing a user to select the desired postage and have the postage printed on media such as an envelope. The meter toolkit ensures the security of the printing of the meter stamp by the printer.
However, all of the prior art postage meter systems still require, in accordance with USPS regulations, that the meter stamp be printed using red fluorescent ink.
By and large, electrophotographic (xe2x80x9cEPxe2x80x9d) imaging devices are the most popular form of imaging device used in homes and offices to print images such as documents and graphics images. By xe2x80x9cimaging devicexe2x80x9d I mean a device configured to print an image on a sheet of printable media. Examples of imaging devices include printers, photocopiers, and so-called xe2x80x9call-in-onexe2x80x9d machines, which typically incorporate the functionality of a printer, a photocopier, a facsimile machine, and a scanner all in a single device. Printable media (or xe2x80x9cmediaxe2x80x9d) can include papers, labels, transparencies, card stock (such as a post card), and pre-formed media such as envelopes. Many printers can print addresses on envelopes using an application software package, such as Word 2000, available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. However, these EP imaging devices cannot print metered postage on printable media. Accordingly, if a user desires to add postage to an envelope or the like after printing the envelope with an address, the user must manually add postage (in the form of stamps, for example), or separately run the envelope through a postage meter which can print the meter stamp on the envelope.
EP imaging devices are well known in the art. However, I will provide here a brief, general description of an EP imaging device to facilitate later description of my invention. An EP imaging device includes a scanning section, also known as an exposure section, and a developing section. A photoconductive material, supported on a continuous transfer medium such as a belt or a drum, moves past the exposure section and the developing section. The photoconductive material is first charged to a base electrical potential. As the photoconductive medium passes by the exposure section, it is selectively discharged by a laser which is scanned across the moving transfer medium. This scanning is usually accomplished using a rotating polygon-sided mirror. The laser selectively discharges the photoconductive material in response to a digital file, which is representative of the image to be imagined on the media. (Alternately, the photoconductive material can be initially discharged to a base potential, and then selectively charged by the laser according to the digital file.) The image is thus formed on the photographic material in xe2x80x9cpixelsxe2x80x9d of selectively exposed areas. Thereafter, the photoconductive material is moved past a toner cartridge in the developing section, and toner from the cartridge is attracted to the selectively exposed portions of the photoconductive material. The toner typically comprises small spherical particles (frequently plastic), or powder, or a liquid, all capable of receiving a static electrical charge to facilitate their movement from one point to another by electrostatic processes. The toner is then transferred from the transfer medium to the print media using an electrostatic discharge element, and is then subsequently fused to the media by a fuser. The fuser can use heat and/or pressure to fuse the toner to the print media. The print media is propelled by a series of powered rollers through a media path (xe2x80x9cpaper pathxe2x80x9d) defined by a series of guides, and is then deposited in an output tray where it can be accessed by a user.
An EP imaging device can create an image on print media either in monochrome (typically black), or as a color image, typically using toners of cyan, yellow, magenta and black. However, as previously mentioned, there is currently no toner, or combination on toners, of a fluorescent color which is acceptable (at least by the USPS) for printing a meter stamp. Accordingly, an office or the like which has an EP imaging device, but which also desires to be able to print metered postage, must have both a separate EP imaging device, as well as a separate metered postage printer. Since each of these devices consumes a certain amount of space, the result can be a crowded office, or loss of valuable space which can be used for other purposes.
What is needed then is a postage meter which achieves the benefits to be derived from similar prior art postage meters, but which avoids certain of the shortcomings and detriments associated therewith.
The present invention provides for a meter stamp printer as part of, or as an attachment to, an imaging apparatus, and particularly an elecrophotographic (xe2x80x9cEPxe2x80x9d) imaging apparatus or device having an electrophotographic printing section. Preferably, the meter stamp printer is an ink jet printer and has an ink jet print head and a meter stamp print engine to control the ink jet print head. The meter stamp print engine operates separately from an electrophotographic print engine which is used to print images using the electrophotographic printing section. The meter stamp print engine can be enabled by a postage meter which is external to the imagine apparatus. Alternately, the postage meter can be incorporated into the imaging apparatus as an expansion module. The imaging apparatus can be in communication with an external computer, such as a personal computer, which can be used to instruct the imaging apparatus, in conjunction with the meter stamp printing device, to print a meter stamp (using the meter stamp printing device) and/or an image (using the EP imaging section of the imaging apparatus) on a selected medium, such as an envelope or a post card.
In one embodiment the invention includes an imaging apparatus comprising an electrophotographic (xe2x80x9cEPxe2x80x9d) imaging section capable of generating an image on media using an electrophotographic imaging process. The imaging apparatus further includes a meter stamp printer capable of printing a meter stamp on the media. Preferably, the meter stamp printer is an ink jet printer. The meter stamp printer can be a meter stamp unit detachably connectable to the imaging apparatus. The imaging apparatus can be, for example, a laser EP imaging device.
The imaging apparatus can also include a media inlet, a media outlet, and a media path defined between the media inlet and outlet, and through which the media is configured to pass. In this case the EP imaging section and the meter stamp printer can be positioned to be capable of respectively generating the image and the meter stamp on the media as the media passes through the media path. In this way, media (such as an envelope or the like) can be printed with an image, such as an address, as well as metered postage, by using the same apparatus, and in a single operation, such that postage does not need to be separately applied to the medium after (or before) the non-meter stamp image is printed on the medium.
The imaging apparatus can further include an EP print engine configured to generate the image on the media using the EP imaging section. Further, the meter stamp printer can comprise a meter stamp print engine and a meter stamp print head responsive to the meter stamp print engine. The meter stamp print head (which can be an ink jet print head) is configured to print the meter stamp on the media.
Further, the imaging apparatus can include a main processor and a meter vault. The meter vault can include a meter vault memory, and a meter vault program. The meter vault memory is configured to store a value of postage which can be printed by the meter stamp printer. The meter vault program is configured to authorize the printing of the meter stamp on the media using the meter stamp printer, and the main processor can be configured to generate the image on the media using the electrophotographic print engine. Specifically, the meter vault program can be configured to instruct the main processor to print the meter stamp on the media using the meter stamp print head (which is typically an ink-jet print head) when the printing of a meter stamp has been authorized by the vault processor. The meter stamp program thus assists in providing security to the vault memory so that unauthorized printing of a meter stamp is unlikely to occur.
The imaging apparatus can include a meter vault processor separate from the main processor. The meter vault program can be configured to instruct the meter vault processor to instruct the meter stamp print engine to print the meter stamp on the media using the meter stamp head when the printing of a meter stamp has been authorized by the meter vault program. A communication device can be provided to allow the main processor to receive postage value from a remote source (such as the Internet) and to save the postage value in the meter vault memory.
In one configuration the imaging apparatus is in communication with a printer driver program. The printer driver program can be configured to receive a print file comprising electronic representations of the image (such as a recipient address for an envelope) and the meter stamp. The printer drive program is configured to transmit the electronic representations of the (non-stamp) image to the electrophotographic print engine, and to transmit the electronic representations of the meter stamp to the meter vault program.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides for an imaging system having an imaging device comprising an electrophotographic imaging section capable of generating an image on media using an electrophotographic imaging process, and a meter stamp printer capable of printing on the media a meter stamp defined by a stamp value. The imaging system can further include a postage meter comprising a vault for storing a value of postage which can be printed by the meter stamp printer. The system can also have a computer configured to allow a user to instruct the imaging device to generate an image on the media using the electrophotographic imaging section, to print a meter stamp on the media using the meter stamp printer, and to obtain the stamp value from the meter vault. The meter stamp printer can be a meter stamp unit detachably connectable to the imaging device, and can print the meter stamp using an ink jet printer.
In one variation the imaging device includes an imaging device processor and an expansion module interface. The postage meter can be a module configured to be received within the expansion module interface, and the imaging device processor can perform the printing of the meter stamp as directed by the postage meter.
A third embodiment of the present invention includes an attachment for an electrophotographic imaging device. The imaging device has an electrophotographic imaging section capable of generating an image on media using an electrophotographic imaging process. The attachment comprises a meter stamp printer capable of printing a meter stamp on the media. Preferably, the meter stamp printer comprises an ink jet print head for the printing of the meter stamp using a designated fluorescent ink. The meter stamp printer can comprise a meter stamp print engine configured to cause the ink jet print head to print a meter stamp upon receipt of an instruction from a meter vault program.
These and other aspects and embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: